Ventilation reliability: A pilot study on window opening behaviour in a primary school

Most New Zealand schools are designed to be naturally ventilated, using openable windows (Ministry of Education Design Quality Standard Guidelines). Furthermore, they must meet the New Zealand Building Code Clause G4 - Ventilation. Clause G4 requires the “net openable area of windows in a classroom to be no less than 5% of the combined habitable floor area to achieve sufficient ventilation”. Although they are designed to code, there is no end-user operational or systems requirement for them to be opened. Assessing teacher behaviour in schools can improve indoor environmental quality in naturally ventilated classrooms where window operation behaviour directly impacts air exchange rates. This pilot study will use a multidisciplinary approach to monitor six naturally ventilated classrooms in one primary school in Auckland, New Zealand, during non-heating seasons. The state of the windows and external doors will be monitored using contact sensors and visual observations. Reflections on on-site management and difficulties will also be detailed. Data will be retrieved from the local meteorological station for ambient environmental data (temperature, humidity, solar radiation). The classroom environment will also be monitored (temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide). This data could inform on potential predictors to trigger open window/door openings. Correlational tests will be used to identify how opening of windows are affected by environmental predictors. This study will provide evidence of natural ventilation practices and their potential impact on classroom air quality.